"DuPont recently announced the opening of the world's largest cellulosic biofuel facility in Nevada, Iowa. The plant, which uses corn stover (the stalks, leaves and husks of the corn plant) to produce ethanol, aims to produce approximately 30 million gallons of fuel per year," the Friends of the Mississippi River says.

"The majority of this cellulosic ethanol will be bound for California to help that state fulfill its Low Carbon Fuel Standard (link is external). DuPont also hopes the plant will serve as a commercial-scale demonstration of the promise of cellulosic technology.

"While corn stover sounds like a great source of feedstock for large-scale cellulosic ethanol facilities, its use can create serious risks for water quality, soil health and natural resources across the Midwest."

"The facility is expected to produce about 30 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year from corn stover that is harvested within a 30-mile radius of the site. Through a partnership between Proctor and Gamble and DuPont, some of the cellulosic ethanol from this plant will be used in a laundry detergent," the Department of Energy says.

"According to DuPont, the biorefinery has provided many job and financial opportunities for this rural area of the United States, such as employing 1,000 construction workers, obtaining corn stover from approximately 500 nearby farmers, hiring 85 employees to work at the plant, and using another 150 people to collect, transport, and store feedstock.

"DOE has supported DuPont by funding key bioenergy conversion technologies and collaborating on research and development projects. Under a competitively selected DOE award, DuPont worked with the NREL to create improved biomass pretreatment and ethanol production technologies. Their collaboration focused on two key areas. In one area, the team worked on the development, optimization, and scale-up of Zymomonas mobilis—a bacterium that enhances the fermentation of biomass sugars—for production of biofuels."

"Dozens of state, local and national leaders gathered in Nevada to celebrate what DuPont says is the world's largest cellulosic ethanol plant, using corncobs, husks and stalks to eventually produce 30 million gallons of ethanol annually.

"DuPont leaders said the company plans to sell most of the green biofuel in California to help the state meet its low-carbon fuel standard. Cellulosic ethanol is 90 percent greener than gasoline. Iowa is the nation's largest producer of ethanol, and it has become a hotbed for cellulosic ethanol development," the Des Moines Register says.

"Brian Sampson, one of about 500 local farmers who provides 375,000 tons of stover for the plant, said the project has renewed his belief that Americans can solve important world problems."

"DuPont’s plant, the largest in the nation, when up to full capacity will produce 30 million gallons of ethanol a year from corn stover. Jan Koninckx, global business director, Advanced Biofuels, DuPont, explains that fuel from this plant will be made generating “90% less greenhouse gas then the production of gasoline,” the Farm Progress says.



"The DuPont plant is not the first to make ethanol from biomass. Poet and Abengoa are both running plants that use a range of materials to make the renewable fuel, but the DuPont facility will be the biggest so far. And DuPont took a “clean sheet” approach to this plant bringing in some interesting innovations.

"Take water, for example, the new plant essentially retains and uses all its water with zero loss other than evaporative cooling loss in some steps of the process. The old saw that ethanol plants use a lot of water is changing and in this facility while it may take water to make ethanol, it’s the same water over and over."

"A cellulosic ethanol facility — expected to produce about 30 million gallons of cellulosic ethanol per year — opened in Nevada, Iowa. DuPont celebrated the opening of its cellulosic ethanol plant, reportedly the world’s largest, with a ceremony including Iowa Gov. and other dignitaries," the Process Heating says.

"The facility uses corn stover – the stalks, leaves and cobs left in a field after harvest — to produce ethanol. DuPont expects the facility to demonstrate at commercial scale that non-food feedstocks from agriculture can be the renewable raw material for renewable energy.

"DuPont uses high-tech enzymes to break down the chemical bonds in lignocellulosic material to produce sugars that can then be fermented to produce ethanol or processed to produce bioplastics or other high value chemicals. DuPont also is working on other non-food based feedstocks, including switchgrass, sugarcane bagasse, biomass sorghum and empty fruit bunch. According to DuPont, its farm-to-fuel process for cellulosic ethanol also offers a potential 90 percent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as compared to gasoline."

"This biorefinery is the world’s largest cellulosic ethanol plant, with the capacity to produce 30 million gallons per year of clean fuel that offers a 90% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions as compared to gasoline," the Crop Life says.

"The raw material used to produce the ethanol is corn stover – the stalks, leaves and cobs left in a field after harvest. The facility will demonstrate at commercial scale that non-food feed stocks from agriculture can be the renewable raw material to power the future energy demands of society. Cellulosic ethanol will further diversify the transportation fuel mix just as wind and solar are expanding the renewable options for power generation.

"Vital to the supply chain and the entire operation of the Nevada biorefinery are close to 500 local farmers, who will provide the annual 375,000 dry tons of stover needed to produce this cellulosic ethanol from within a 30-mile radius of the facility. In addition to providing a brand-new revenue stream for these growers, the plant will create 85 full-time jobs at the plant and more than 150 seasonal local jobs in Iowa."

"The recently constructed VERBIO Nevada Biorefinery is on track to achieve full-scale production of 7 million ethanol gallons equivalent (EGE) of renewable natural gas (RNG) by mid-summer 2022, according to the Germany-based company.

"In early 2023, the site will begin operating as a biorefinery, producing 19 million EGE of RNG and 60 million gallons of corn-based ethanol, annually. The integration of RNG and ethanol production, unique to VERBIO, incorporates advanced operational technology to build on the company's successful experiences in Europe," the World Grain says.

"In the first year of operation, the plant will use up to100,000 tons of corn stover as feedstock to produce RNG."

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